Baltimore City Police Commissioner Anthony Batts speaks about the gun control measure at a news conference today. Download This File

Lt. Governor Anthony Brown reacts to potential changes in the gun control bill. Download This File

Earlier this week in Washington, Senate leaders say they would not pursue a federal assault weapons ban. Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson who went to Washington to testify for that ban, talks about the federal and state bills. Download This File

Advocates and lawmakers on both sides of the gun control issue, believe the House of Delegates will make changes to Governor Martin O'Malley's gun control bill, which the Senate approved late last month.

The bill has yet to get a vote from both the House Judiciary and House Health and Government Operations Committees.

Prince George's County Delegate Joe Vallario told reporters Thursday that committee members have yet to agree on amendments to the bill.

He expects the committees to meet and debate and vote on the bills sometime next week.

Vallario notes, there is not a rush to act on this bill this week, since the Senate has already approved the bill, and the House faces a Monday deadline to pass hundreds of other bills it wants the Senate to consider in the last two weeks of the legislative session.

"Everything is open right now. Everything is on the table. That's the problem, we haven't reached a conclusion right now," Vallario said.

Among the possible amendments delegates may consider removing certain rifles like the AR-15 off of the banned list of assault weapons in the bill, as well as raising the limits on magazine rounds. Under the current bill, it would be illegal to possess a magazine clip of more than 10 rounds.

The committee is also expected to consider amendments to the bill's restrictions on access of guns by the mentally ill. The Senate bill prohibits anyone who has been involuntarily committed due to mental illness from possessing a firearm.

The bill also requires anyone buying a handgun to submit fingerprints to police, and requires them to be licensed.

There are expected to be amendments to change the licensing requirement.

The two House committees heard 16 hours of testimony earlier this month, mostly from opponents to the bill.

Vallario also expects the committee to consider amendments that would protect gun manufacturers in Maryland from prosecution.

That includes Beretta, which has a factory in Vallario's district.

There is language in the Senate bill that would allow Beretta to manufacture and transport its rifles out of Maryland, even if the state bans them.

The company has been hearing offers from other states to relocate its factory.

The leader of one gun-owners' rights group believes that the House will consider changes because opposition to the bill is growing.

"We're seeing people who normally support gun control, very uncomfortable with what they feel to be are over reaches of fingerprinting of lawful people, before they can exercise their constitutional right," Patrick Shomo, president of Maryland Shall Issue told WBAL News.

Shomo wouldn't predict if the House and Senate would fail to reach an agreement on the bill by the time the legislative session ends on April 8.

He does say delegates from both parties want changes to the bill.

For their part, the O'Malley Administration is lobbying for the bill.

Lt. Governor Anthony Brown appeared at a news conference Thursday with law enforcement officials to call on delegates to support the bill.

Brown told reporters that he feels a compromise will be reached, but he did say that he would like to see the Senate bill become law.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Governor Martin O'Malley sent an email blast to his supporters this week urging them to tell delegates to keep the assault weapons ban in tact.